WWE superstar Cody Rhodes wants fans to know he is sorry for his injury from last year.
Rhodes shocked wrestling fans when he wrestled injured against Seth Rollins at Hell in a Cell on June 5, 2022. He hurt himself while lifting weights, resulting in a torn pectoral muscle. Despite the injury, Rhodes competed in a Hell in a Cell match and defeated Rollins.
While fans have praised Rhodes’s effort in the match, he wants his supporters to know he is sorry for the injury. In the post-royal rumble press conference on Jan. 28, Fightful’s Sean Ross Sapp asked Rhodes about the injury, and the WWE superstar apologized for getting hurt.
“…I do want people to know I’m really sorry. I’ve never been hurt; I felt genuinely bulletproof. I’m very sorry that I got hurt, and it happens right, but I’m just glad that I had the chance to go out. …Once a doctor says it can’t get hurt any worse, then I have to be out there. Chicago means so much to me, and I’m myself on the chair, and I’m so embarrassed and defeated. Half my body is no longer functioning. I know that match registers with people and I really appreciate it. It doesn’t register with me, because that’s what I’m supposed to do.”
-Cody Rhodes
Cody Rhodes and Triple H
Triple H Praises Cody Rhodes’s Return From Injury
Although Rhodes is apologetic about his pectoral injury, Chief Control Officer Triple H has praised Rhodes for his return and how he dealt with the injury. After Rhodes, the press conference, Triple H credited the WWE superstar’s dedication.
“…Going through what he did for all of us, for this industry, for himself, I know what’s the like. I’ve been in that spot. Unfortunately, a few different times, and I can admire what goes in with that, and for him to turn that around and come back tonight and do what he did is amazing in it of itself,” said Triple H. He also added that Rhodes is a special talent and human being.
WWE Chief Content Officer Triple H doesn’t believe The Rock will be at WrestleMania 39 in April.
The spectacular event will be a two-night show held at the SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, on April 1 and 2. Wrestling fans were excited over the speculation that The Rock could be competing at this year’s WrestleMania. He has become a dream opponent to challenge the current Undisputed WWE Universal Champion, Roman Reigns.
With the event in California, fans were ready to see “The Great One” return to WWE. However, it doesn’t seem like that will happen this year. In a press conference after the Royal Rumble, TV Insider Scott Fishman asked Triple H about The Rock’s involvement at WrestleMania 39. The Chief Content Officer revealed that the superstar isn’t available.
“…I know for him, and I know his family, his background, and everything, there is a part of him that if he could be here for this WrestleMania in Hollywood, he would turn over every stone and walk through fire to be able to do it if he could. I just don’t think it is in the cards, but then again, you don’t know,” said Triple H.
He added The Rock is always in talks about a return, and he could come back when he wants. Triple H also said, “…I think that respect factor works both ways that he wouldn’t want to do it unless he could absolutely do it. There is no way he would half-ass it. There’s no way he would show up here and not come in and want to put every single thing he had into it.”
What’s Next For Roman Reigns?
Wrestling fans may be unable to see The Rock challenge Reigns at WrestleMania 39.
However, they will get a chance to see Cody Rhodes challenge the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion at “WrestleMania Hollywood.” Rhodes earned his opportunity by winning the Royal Rumble match on Jan. 28. It’s unclear if the Royal Rumble winner will challenge for both titles or just the WWE Championship. Rhodes has spoken in the past about wanting to be the WWE Champion, which his father wasn’t able to do.
Reigns also have unfinished business with Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn. He defeated Owens at this year’s Royal Rumble event but gave him an extra beat down after the match. When Reigns asked Zayn to attack Owens, Zayn refused and the champion in his back with a chair. Zayn’s actions led to The Bloodline beating him up to the event. It’s possible WWE could have Owens and Zayn try to get their revenge on the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion.
Although The Rock will not be involved in this year’s WrestleMania event, WWE seems to have exciting plans in store for its fans.
“Sometimes when people look at the Royal Rumble, they just look at the winner. I tend to look at who has the moments that are most spectacular. That’s what our business really a lot of the time is. It’s about those big moments. That moment that catapult’s you to another moment that raises you up to another even bigger moment.”
“There were a lot of people who had moments tonight. Logan Paul and Ricochet. It’s one of the craziest things I’ve ever seen. Cody with the win. But GUNTHER, going in there at number one, with Sheamus which is tough enough because you know you’re going to take a beating.”
“To have the performance that he did, all through that hour [was incredible.] There was never a moment in that Rumble match I feel where you lost GUNTHER. Where he just blended into the background. He stood out the whole thing. He’s a star. He is an incredible talent.”
“He stood out the whole thing. He’s a star. He is an incredible talent.”
Triple H.
“It’s funny how many talents come to me when they walk through that curtain after they work with him, whether it’s briefly or whether it’s a long match, and walk through that curtain and say ‘oh my God. He’s incredible.’ He’s a special talent and he had a big night tonight and I’m excited to see where he can take that. If each moment leads to another, I’m excited to see where he takes it next.”
It seems Bray Wyatt may have unfinished business with Alexa Bliss.
Wyatt has quite the history with Bliss, from his time as “The Fiend.” Both superstars were in a storyline together from July 2020 to WrestleMania 37 on April 11, 2021. WWE seemingly ended the relationship between Wyatt and Bliss after she betrayed him at WrestleMania 37. However, Wyatt has teased that his story with Bliss is far from over.
Bliss is being followed by the mysterious “Uncle Howdy,” who, after the Royal Rumble on Jan. 28, is presumably working with Wyatt. In a press conference after this year’s Royal Rumble, Wyatt talked about his relationship with Bliss and what will come from this storyline.
“…I think me and Alexa are just kind of connected forever, no matter what. It’s just kind of the way it’s gone, and where it leads, I don’t know. No one knows, but I feel like there will be something at some point, and it will be memorable; I’m sure of that.”
-Bray Wyatt
What’s Next For Bray Wyatt and Alexa Bliss?
Based on Wyatt’s comments, Bliss will be working with him again. As of now, Uncle Howdy is the only person following her. However, that could change after this year’s Royal Rumble. Uncle Howdy seemed to be working with Wyatt after he aided Wyatt’s attack on LA Knight.
The mysterious character also appeared in a video after Bliss’s loss to Raw Women’s Champion Bianca Belair to tease her. The video showed images of Bliss during the time she worked with Wyatt, and Uncle Howdy repeatedly said, “Do you feel in charge.”
It’s unclear where WWE is going with this storyline between Uncle Howdy, Wyatt, and Bliss. However, Wyatt believes that wherever the story is headed, it will be something fans will remember.
The American Nightmare is one step closer to fulfilling his promise to his father the American Dream.
Entering the Men’s Royal Rumble match at the coveted #30 spot, Cody Rhodes eliminated 5 Superstars to win the match, earning a Championship opportunity at WrestleMania 39.
Rhodes’ final elimination saw him throw out GUNTHER, who broke the record for the longest time in a traditional Royal Rumble match.
Biggest Night of My Career
For Cody Rhodes, the road to this victory has been far from easy.
Cody was not with WWE this time last year, and plans for his return were severely delayed by his torn pectoral muscle injury last June.
Throughout his recovery, Rhodes has been on the receiving end of well-wishes from fans and those within the industry.
Speaking after the match to Ryan Satin, Rhodes thanked the fans for their support
“Thank you for everything. I can’t thank you enough [from the] bottom of my heart. The biggest night of my career so thank you very much.”
Cody Rhodes.
WrestleMania Moment
With this victory, Rhodes now has a World Championship match assured for WrestleMania, something that alluded the American Nightmare during his first run with WWE.
In a separate interview with Cathy Kelley, an emotional Rhodes made it clear he’s looking forward to walking into his first WrestleMania main event.
“I don’t have a, sorry I’m very emotional. I don’t have a frame of reference. I’ve never punched a ticket to WrestleMania.
“I don’t have any words other than, I’ve got to finish it, right? There’s no one better in the world than Roman Reigns. I can’t say I’m better, but I have to beat him to say I’m better.”
Unless Reigns drops the title before April, the Tribal Chief will face the American Nightmare at WrestleMania 39.
Roman Reigns made his latest title defense as the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion against Kevin Owens, a rematch two years in the making. However, it was the post-match angle that had people talking.
The title match at Saturday’s WWE Royal Rumble premium live event featured a back and forth affair to start things off. Although Owens got the upper hand after hitting a back splash on the floor, Reigns took over with a slower pace.
Owens did manage to hit a frog splash off the apron to the floor before getting back into the ring where Reigns connected with a powerbomb for 2. Reigns missed a spear, leading to a superkick and swanton bomb by Owens for 2. Owens missed a moonsault and Reigns hit a spear for 2. There was a referee bump. Although Zayn got a chair as Reigns asked him to do so, Owens managed to hit a stunner for 2. Reigns speared him through the barricade, bounced Owens’ head off the steel steps and hit a spear for the win.
Post-match, The Bloodline beat down Owens. Zayn pleaded with Reigns to top the attack. Reigns wanted Zayn to hit Owens with the chair. Zayn hit Reigns in the back. Reigns, Solo and Jimmy Uso beat down Zayn, but Jey walked out.
In recent months, Owens has been a thorn in the side of Reigns and The Bloodline. At Survivor Series: WarGames, Owens was on the opposite team, although he fell short thanks to Sami Zayn.
At the 2021 Royal Rumble event, Owens and Reigns battled in a Last Man Standing bout, but dealt with interference from The Bloodline and other factors, eventually leading to his loss against “The Tribal Chief.”
The winner of this year’s women’s Royal Rumble match has been revealed and it’s Rhea Ripley. Now, her journey to WrestleMania 39 begins.
It started off with Rhea Ripley and Liv Morgan before Dana Brooke and Emma followed. Shayna Baszler was #5 while Bayley was out at #6. B-Fab was #7 but was quickly eliminated by Ripley. NXT Women’s Champion Roxanne Perez entered next then Dakota Kai. IYO SKY was next out.
Brooke was eliminated then Emma. Perez was taken out by Kai, Bayley, and SKY. Natalya entered the match next followed by Candice LeRae. NXT’s Zoey Stark and Xia Li were the next entrants. Lee was eliminated by Damage CTRL. Becky Lynch was #15. Tegan Nox was out at #16 and Asuka at #17. Piper Niven was next out (Doudrop name dropped). #19 was Tamina. Chelsea Green was #20 but was eliminated right away by Ripley. Kai and SKY were eliminated by Lynch. Bayley eliminated Lynch. Morgan eliminated Bayley. Zelina Vega was #21 and eliminated Li. Raquel Rodriguez was #22.
Mia Yim was out next followed by Lacey Evans. Michelle McCool entered after sitting in the front row. Indi Hartwell was #26. Sonya Deville was #27 and eliminated Stark. Evans choked out Vega on the top rope and dropped her for the elimination. Shotzi was #28 then Nikki Cross. The final entrant is Nia Jax. Everyone jumped on her and she was eliminated.
McCool and Evans were eliminated followed by Shotzi and Yim. Niven ate a big boot and was eliminated by Raquel. Ripley kicked Raquel out of the ring. Asuka sent Morgan to the floor.
Ripley outlasted the likes of Cross, Morgan, and Asuka in the Final Four at the WWE Royal Rumble pay-per-view event. Ripley and Morgan were the final two.
With her beating out 29 other stars, she has earned the right to be in one of the main events of Mania and will have her choice to go after one of the top titles in the company. The decision for her comes down to the Raw Women’s Title, which is held by Bianca Belair. The other option is challenging SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair.
Royal Rumble List of Entrants
Here’s a list of the entry of superstars who competed in this fan-favorite match:
Chelsea Green has made her long-anticipated return to WWE, though her return didn’t go as she had planned.
Green was released from WWE in April 2021, months after suffering an injury during her debut match on SmackDown in November 2020.
After her WWE departure, Green returned to Impact Wrestling, where she became a former Impact Knockouts Tag Team Champion.
Rumble Return
After her contract with Impact Wrestling expired, it was reported that Green was set to return to WWE.
Green had been teasing her return to WWE for months and said in November 2022 that she would be open to the idea, while saying she doubted she would join All Elite Wrestling.
It had also been reported that the Canadian wrestler had been re-signed for months, and was waiting on WWE’s Creative team to figure out her return.
That return came as part of the Women’s Royal Rumble as the #20 entrant.
This match marked Green’s second time in a Royal Rumble, after competing in the 2020 Women’s Rumble match, where she eliminated Dakota Kai.
Unfortunate Record
Chelsea Green is once again a WWE Superstar, but she had the worst performance in the Women’s Royal Rumble match.
Green was immediately tossed over the top rope, and her four-second stint has broken the record as the shortest appearance in a Women’s Royal Rumble match.
Prior to the Canadian Superstar, the record was held by Liv Morgan, who was thrown over the top rope in 2019 after lasting eight seconds.
The Intercontinental Champion, Gunther, has set a new record in the 2023 Men’s Royal Rumble match.
Gunther entered as number one, going up against Sheamus at the start of the Royal Rumble match. He outlasted 28 other opponents in the Royal Rumble before getting eliminated by a returning Cody Rhodes. While he didn’t win, he had a great showing and broke a new record.
The intercontinental champ has set the record for the most time spent in a Royal Rumble match. He lasted one hour, eleven minutes, and 25 seconds. The previous record holder was Rey Mysterio from the 2006 Royal Rumble match, with one hour, two minutes, and 12 seconds.
Although Gunther lost the Royal Rumble match, he had exciting encounters with several wrestlers. He had a standoff with Brock Lesnar, an opponent he has not faced. However, it seems WWE may have teased another match between Lesnar and Bobby Lashley.
In the match, Gunther eliminated both Sheamus and Drew McIntyre at the same time. Sheamus and Gunther have unfinished business, but McIntyre has yet to go against Gunther for the Intercontinental Championship. McIntyre seems to be taking a step back from the universal title picture, so WWE could have him work with Gunther.
Regardless, WWE seems to be investing in Gunther to make him a threat to the company. While he didn’t win, it’s possible the company could have big plans for the Intercontinental Champion this year.
The winner of this year’s Men’s Royal Rumble match is Cody Rhodes. He outlasted the likes of Logan Paul, GUNTHER, and Seth Rollins in the Final Four at the WWE Royal Rumble pay-per-view event.
GUNTHER and Sheamus started off the match. The Miz was out next followed by Kofi Kingston, and Johnny Gargano. Sheamus eliminated Miz with the Brogue Kick before Xavier Woods made his entry. Karrion Kross was out at #7. Chad Gable was #8 followed by Drew McIntyre, who eliminated Kross. Santos Escobar was next out then Angelo Dawkins.
Brock Lesnar was the #12 entrant where he eliminated Dawkins, Gable, and Escobar. Bobby Lashley was the #13 entrant. Lashley eliminated Brock with a clothesline. Lesnar hit an F5 to Baron Corbin before he left ringside. Seth Rollins was #15 then Otis. Rey Mysterio was #17, but he didn’t come out. Rollins eliminated Lashley. Dominik Mysterio walked out with Rey’s mask. Elias came out then was eliminated and Finn Balor entered the bout where he eliminated Gargano. Booker T came out at #21 before he was eliminated by GUNTHER. Damian Priest was out at #22 then Montez Ford. Edge came out at #24 where he eliminated Balor and Priest before Balor eliminated Edge, who was trying to toss out Mysterio. Austin Theory was #25. Bet Phoenix returned to attack Rhea Ripley.
Omos was #26 followed by Braun Strowman, who eliminated Omos. Ricochet was #28. McIntyre and Sheamus was eliminated by GUNTHER. Logan Paul came out at #29 and Cody Rhodes was the final entrant. Paul and Ricochet did a spring board double clothesline spot from one side of the ring to the other. Theory eliminated Ricochet. Rollins hit the stomp to Theory before Rhodes clotheslined Austin to the floor. Paul eliminated Rollins the Rhodes tossed out Paul. GUNTHER worked over the pec of Rhodes before Rhodes eliminated him.
Rhodes has earned the right to be in one of the main events of WrestleMania 39 and will have his choice to go after one of the top titles in the company, as a result of beating out 29 other stars.
Royal Rumble List of Entrants
Pat McAfee returned to the announce table before the match. Here’s a list of the entry of superstars who competed in this fan-favorite match:
WWE Royal Rumble is quickly approaching, and the planned match order has been revealed based on the internal production listing.
Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns vs. Kevin Owens will headline the show.
There are a total of title matches on this card. There are no titles expected to change hands, according to the final betting odds released. The event starts with the Kickoff show at 7 PM EST and the main card at 8 PM EST.
WWE Royal Rumble Match Order
According to Fightful Select, the current scheduled match order for tonight is as follows:
Men’s Royal Rumble Match: GUNTHER, Austin Theory, Kofi Kingston, Ricochet, Seth Rollins, Bobby Lashley, Baron Corbin, Santos Escobar, Rey Mysterio, Cody Rhodes, Omos, Sheamus, Drew McIntyre, Braun Strowman, Karrion Kross, Dominik Mysterio, The Miz, Brock Lesnar
Bray Wyatt vs. LA Knight – Pitch Black Match
WWE Raw Women’s Champion Bianca Belair vs. Alexa Bliss
The Undertaker has been retired from in-ring action for a few years now but is keeping a close eye on the product.
Taker got an up close and personal look past Monday night on WWE Raw, where he made an appearance with his American Badass gimmick and rode his motorcycle down to the ring for a segment with LA Knight that led to Taker grabbing him by the throat, then giving him to Bray Wyatt, who laid out Knight with Sister Abigail.
It marked the first time in over two decades that Taker made an entrance to the song. This was ahead of Wyatt taking on Knight in the first-ever Pitch Black match at the Royal Rumble.
Praise From The Deadman
While speaking with Ariel Helwani of BT Sport, The Undertaker praised Sami Zayn for his storyline with The Bloodline as The Honorary Uce.
“I’ll tell you what, I’m really eyeing right now, Sami, what he’s doing. It really is and it’s the perfect offset to Roman and The Usos. It’s just perfect, it’s different, right? It cracks me up watching him crack those guys up and them trying to keep their composure. Sami…that whole thing has been done so well.”
Add another man to the @SamiZayn bandwagon ?@arielhelwani asked @undertaker who his favourite Superstar is right now and he barely had to think about it…
Former MLW star EJ Nduka made his debut for All Elite Wrestling at Saturday’s AEW Dark tapings from Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida. He faced Konosuke Takeshita in a match that will soon air on the AEW Youtube channel.
Nduka had two tryouts for WWE before signing with the company in August 2019. He trained at the Performance Center but was released less than two years later.
He signed with Major League Wrestling shortly thereafter as part of that year’s MLW Open Draft. Known as The Judge, Nduka held the MLW World tag team championships with Calvin Tankman. His MLW contract expired earlier this month and he decided to test himself on the free agency market.
Here are some photos of Nduka’s AEW debut, courtesy of Jacob Cohen:
Nduka is friends with AEW TBS Champion, Jade Cargill. They attended Jacksonville University together and broke into the business on the very same day.
During a November 2021 interview with SEScoops correspondent Samira, “So, Jade and I, we both went to college together. Ironically, we knew of each other, but we didn’t know each other. In college, she played basketball and I played football. We actually got close when we got in the industry the same day.”
“We had our tryout at the WWE at the PC (Performance Center). She was literally right behind me in line. We started chopping it up and ever since then we’ve just been really good friends and we train whenever we get a chance. They were in Orlando for the AEW Dynamite, so we got an opportunity to train.”
Got in a killer workout with this monster – @EjTheJudge . We went to the same college, also came into this game the SAME DAY. Some people just have “IT”. We are beyond blessed. Get ready!!
Everybody loves The Acclaimed, AEW’s reigning world tag team champions – even the guy who was in charge of the music playing at WWE’s Royal Rumble Super Store
The Royal Rumble Super Store has been open since January 26 at the Alamodome and is presented by Credit One Bank. Fans who are in town for the Rumble can purchase merchandise, check out iconic WWE memorabilia and participate in autograph signings presented by Fiterman Sports A correspondent on the ground in San Antonio wrote in to tell us that it’s an attraction that’s definitely worth checking out if you attend a big WWE PPV weekend.
On Friday night, a few customers who were in attendance mentioned on social media that the Acclaimed’s entrance theme music was playing at the store while ‘members of the WWE Universe’ were shopping.
According to Twitter user @BosniazFinest28, “the guy who came to turn it off said he got screwed by his Spotify playlist.”
The Acclaimed was represented at another WWE event just miles away from the Royal Rumble Super Store. On Friday’s SmackDown, a fan of Max Caster and Anthony Bowens who had great seats proudly held a sign that reads, “Scissor Me Daddy Ass!”
Seth Rollins doesn’t sound too interested in having CM Punk back in the WWE locker room.
Rollins is currently in San Antonio, Texas for the Royal Rumble. WWE has been hosting a series of media events over the past few days, including one on Saturday to promote the upcoming launch of the WWE 2K23 video game.
Nick Hausman of WrestlingInc caught up with Rollins, who was dressed up as a “Dripping Cowboy” to honor the local heritage. The 2019 Rumble winner scoffed at the idea of Cody Rhodes being the odds-on favorite to win this year’s match.
Hausman asked Rollins about a few potential free agents, and whether or not he’d like to see them [back] in WWE.
Regarding FTR, Rollins was all about it. “Yeah, great talents, hell of a tag team,” he said. “[They’re] good guys, always had a hell of a relationship with them, I’d love to see them come back if they’d like to come back with us.”
As for CM Punk, not so much.
“Aww, Philly Phil, stay away! Stay away, you cancer. Get away from me forever.”
– Seth Rollins on CM Punk returning to WWE
Hausman was surprised by the answer, which led Rollins to double down. “I don’t like Phil, he’s a jerk. Oh, did we just figure that out? Everybody in the room is like, ‘Oh no, did he say that?’ Yeah, he’s a jerk, we figured that out over there [AEW], we knew it over here [WWE]. I don’t want him back. Go do something else. Bye-bye! See ya later!”
Rollins says the new WWE 2k23 game looks sick. The next-gen systems have the graphics looking unreal, the gameplay is incredible and he’s eager to try out the new WarGames match. Most importantly, he and his wife (Becky Lynch) look great, so “it’s all a win.”
WWE 2K23 is due out Tuesday, March 14. You can pre-order the game now at Amazon.
Royal Rumble always brings in many surprises and there is a lot of chatter about which stars may or may not show up at the PPV from Alamodome this year.
Fightful Select provided some update on the names fans are expecting to see on the show tonight including The Rock, Ronda Rousey and more.
Switchblade Jay White is expected to leave NJPW at the end of his deal. As of now however, he is still under contract which likely means he won’t be at Royal Rumble.
When asked about a potential surprise appearance at the show, Matt Cardona said “In San Antonio the day before the Rumble? What am I, a mark?”
Doudrop who has been out of action since last September is in town and taking part in media events. She has been training for an in-ring return for a month.
Ronda Rousey wasn’t originally expected to be part of the Royal Rumble after losing the SmackDown women’s title to Charlotte Flair back in December.
Several people with connections to the company ‘swear The Rock is showing up.’ His latest Instagram post on the other hand, suggests that it’s not likely.
There are Uncle Howdy outfits set for use during the show. Bo Dallas, who has been the rumored name behind the character is also in town.
People have speculated that Pat McAfee could be returning from his hiatus. There is one talent who claims to have heard his name being mentioned for Rumble.
Which surprise appearance would you like to see at Royal Rumble this year? Let us know in the comment section below.
We’re just hours away for the 2023 WWE ‘Royal Rumble’. Keep it locked to SEScoops tonight for our Royal Rumble Results & Live Discussion. Chat with other readers in the comments section while watching one of WWE’s biggest events of the year.
Ahead of tonight’s show, here are some last minute news and notes:
Royal Rumble Attendance
The Royal Rumble takes place from the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. This is the third time the Alamodome has hosted the event, following 1997 and 2017.
On Friday’s WWE ‘SmackDown,’ commentator Michael Cole mentioned they’re expecting over 50,000 fans in attendance. According to Wrestletix, the venue is configured to accommodate 44,868. As of Saturday morning, 44,417 tickets had been distributed, with 451 still available and 1,411 seats on the secondary market (StubHub, etc.)
This show has generated a lot of excitement, so this will likely be a legitimate sell-out when all the walk-up sales are accounted for.
WWE presented the 2023 ‘Royal Rumble’ on Saturday, January 28 from the AlamoDome in San Antonio, Texas.
The show begins and our commentary team of Michael Cole and Corey Graves welcome us to the show LIVE from the AlamoDome in San Antonio, Texas. It’s time for our opening contest of the evening…the Men’s Royal Rumble match!
Before our match begins, Pat McAfee’s music hits and McAfee is back in WWE! McAfee isn’t competing in the match but will join Cole and Graves on commentary!
Men’s Royal Rumble Match
Gunther makes his way to the ring and the Intercontinental Champion is the number one entrant into the match. As the case usually is with these two, heavy strikes are exchanged early and often. Gunther tosses Sheamus over the top rope but Sheamus rakes the IC Champion’s eyes and leaps back into the ring. Time is up and The Miz enters at number three. Miz runs around the ring, Sheamus chases after and tosses Miz back into the ring, where he and Gunther light Miz up with chops to the chest. The timer is up and former WWE Champion, Kofi Kingston enters the fray. All four men are separated off in pairs and number five is ready to come in and it’s former NXT Champion, Johnny Gargano. Sheamus tosses Miz onto the apron and starts cracking him in the chest with his patented forearms to the chest. Number six enters the mix and it’s Xavier Woods! Everyone’s down except Kingston and Woods and instead of going after one another, they start dancing. Gunther and Sheamus have had enough and start attacking both members of the New Day. Number seven enters the match and it’s Karrion Kross.
The newest member of the match goes after both Kingston and Woods but runs into a massive chop by Gunther. The buzzer sounds and the eight member of the match is Chad Gable. The leader of Alpha Academy is going after everyone and he and Woods engage in some mat wrestling and it’s time for number nine to enter the mix and it’s Drew McIntyre! The former WWE Champion slams Gargano into Gable and is attacked from behind by Kross. McIntyre sends Kross over the top rope and launches him to the floor with a boot to the face and Kross is eliminated! The timer runs down and number 10 is Santos Escobar! Everyone is attacking one another and number 11 is Angelo Dawkins! Gunther sends Woods over the top rope and onto the floor with a boot to the face and Woods is eliminated! Number 12’s music hits and it’s two-time Royal Rumble winner, Brock Lesnar! ‘The Beast Encarnate’ launches Escobar, Dawkins, and Gable all out of the ring.
Lesnar comes face-to-face with Gunther and the time expires to reveal number 13 as Bobby Lashley! Lesnar attacks Lashley, who drills Lesnar with a spear and launches Lesnar out of the ring and Lesnar is eliminated! Number 14 is Baron Corbin but Lesnar attacks Corbin before he even enters the ring and he may be out of this one before ever officially entering. Number 15 is Seth Rollins! The ‘Architect’ sends Corbin into the ring and immediately tosses him right over the top rope and Corbin is eliminated! Number 16 is Otis! Not much action takes place and number 17 is Rey Mysterio! Rey never comes out and it looks like something may have happened to the former Rumble winner. Back in the ring, Rollins sends Lashley out of the ring and ‘The Almighty’ is eliminated! Number 18 is revealed as Dominik Mysterio and he comes out with Rey’s mask and rips it in half before coming down to the ring. Sheamus and McIntyre toss Otis over the top rope and Otis is eliminated!
Number 19 is revealed as Elias! Sheamus nails Elias with a Brogue Kick and he and McIntyre toss Elias out of the ring and Elias is eliminated! Number 20 is Finn Balor! Balor goes after anyone possible and he and Dominik eliminate Gargano! Number 21 is Texas-native and WWE Hall of Famer, Booker T! Booker takes out both members of The Judgment Day and does his patented spinarooni! Number 22 is Damian Priest and each member of The Judgment Day are in the match (sans Rhea Ripley). Number 23 is Montez Ford! The Judgment Day quickly eliminated Ford and number 24 is Edge! The WWE Hall of Famer goes after his rivals in The Judgment Day. Edge eliminates Priest and Balor and he comes face-to-face with Seth Rollins. Balor and Priest sneak back in and toss Edge over the top rope and Edge is eliminated! Number 25 is Austin Theory! Edge, Balor, and Priest start fighting up the ramp, Rhea Ripley comes down and attacks Edge but Beth Phoenix comes down and she and Ripley start going at it. Officials come down and break up the fight and number 26 is Omos! Braun Strowman enters as number 27! Some big boys are now in the mix and here we go! Omos and Braun exchange heavy blows in the center of the ring and Strowman launches Omos over the top rope and Omos is eliminated!
Number 28 is Ricochet! Sheamus and McIntyre try to eliminate Strowman but Gunther knocks McIntyre down from behind and tosses him onto the apron but Sheamus makes the save. Gunther launches both McIntyre and Sheamus out and both are eliminated! Number 29 is Logan Paul! Everyone attacks Paul, Ricochet tosses Paul to the apron but Paul nails Ricochet with a Buckshot Lariat to remain in the match! Strowman slams Paul, Ricochet follows up with a standing shooting star press and number 30 is Cody Rhodes! ‘The American Nightmare’ makes his way down to the ring and the fans in attendance is going crazy! Rhodes eliminates Dominik and everyone else starts going to work on each other. Paul and Ricochet stand on opposite top turnbuckles and hit each other with simultaneous flying cross-bodies and the crowd is in a frenzy! What a move! Paul, Ricochet, Gunther, and Rhodes are the final four! Rhodes and Rollins toss Theory are out and it’s down to Gunther, Rollins, Paul, and Rhodes! Rollins and Rhodes both go after Gunther, who entered at number one and here we go! Rollins plants Gunther with a pedigree and Rhodes and Rollins are now face-to-face! Paul comes back into the ring and dumps Rollins out and Rollins is eliminated! Rhodes tosses out Paul and it’s down to number one, Gunther and number 30, Rhodes!
Gunther drills Rhodes with a chop to the chest and injured right pectoral. Rhodes goes for a Disaster Kick but Gunther catches Rhodes and slams him down to the mat. Rhodes and Gunther are on the top turnbuckle and Gunther drills Rhodes with a super-plex down to the mat! Both men struggle to their feet, Rhodes pumps up the crowd and the San Antonio crowd is in a frenzy for Rhodes! Gunther is sent over the top rope and onto the apron but Gunther forces his way back into the ring. Cody sets Gunther up in the corner and nails him with his brother Goldust’s patented Shattered Dreams! Gunther tosses Rhodes over the top rope and onto the apron the applies a sleeper hold! Rhodes drags Gunther over the top rope but falls back into the ring. Rhodes plants Gunther with Cross Rhodes and sends Gunther out of the ring! Rhodes wins!
Winner – Cody Rhodes
Bray Wyatt vs. LA Knight – Pitch Black Match
The bell sounds, the lights go out and the blacklight appears. Bray’s sporting some face paint that’s glowing, as is Knight’s trunks, armbands, and kneepads. Bray launches Knight across the ring then to the outside. Knight sends Bray into the steel steps but Bray launches Knight into the crowd and starts disassembling the commentary table. They both go through the table, Knight escapes into the ring and Wyatt chases after him. Knight tries to hit Bray with a kendo stick but Wyatt catches and plants him with Sister Abigail for the 1-2-3 and the win!
Winner – Bray Wyatt
Bray continues the attack post-match. They fight through the crowd and Bray locks-in the Mandible Claw. Uncle Howdy appears above Bray and launches himself off of a platform and crushes Knight through the table and pyro goes off as Bray stands there with his theme song playing while human Firefly Funhouse puppets appear behind Bray for quite a visual!
The announced attendance for tonight’s show is 51,338 members of the WWE Universe inside of the AlamoDome in San Antonio, Texas.
Bianca Belair (C) vs. Alexa Bliss – RAW Women’s Championship
Bianca launches Alexa to the corner and immediately goes to work on the challenger. Alexa latches onto Bianca and starts going to work but Bianca slams her face-first into the mat. Alexa plants the champion with a DDT and goes for the cover but Bianca lifts the shoulders at two. Alexa slides and kicks Bianca but the champion comes roaring back and nails Alexa with a standing moonsault and goes for a cover of her own but Alexa lifts the shoulders at two. Bianca scoops and nails Alexa with the K.O.D. for the win!
Winner – Bianca Belair (C) (and STILL RAW Women’s Champion)
After the match, we see another creepy video package featuring Uncle Howdy and Alexa looks on as we head to a commercial break.
Women’s Royal Rumble Match
Rhea Ripley and Liv Morgan are numbers one and two, respectively and here we go! Rhea gets control early, Liv fights back and number three is Dana Brooke! Number four is revealed as Emma! Dana, Liv, and Emma gang up on Rhea as the timer expires and number five is Shayna Baszler! Number six is Bayley! Everyone’s paired off in the ring and number seven is B-Fab! Ripley immediately tosses B-Fab out of the ring and B-Fab is eliminated! Number eight is the NXT Women’s Champion, Roxanne Perez! Number nine is Dakota Kai! Number 10 is IYO SKY and now all of Damage CTRL are in the match! Damage CTRL eliminate Brooke and Emma and number 11 is Natalya! Number 12 is Candice LeRae! Baszler and Natalya are eliminated by Damage CTRL and number 13 is NXT’s Zoey Stark!
Number 14 is Xia Li! Damage CTRL is controlling (pun intended) the match and they eliminate Candice LeRae. Number 15 is Becky Lynch! Becky grabs Bayley and they brawl outside of the ring, but neither were eliminated. Damage CTRL help Bayley out and they gang up on Becky. Number 16 is Tegan Nox! Liv and Tegan help out Becky to even the odds against Damage CTRL and number 17 is Asuka! The former Royal Rumble winner reveals her former gimmick ‘Kana’ facepaint! Asuka eliminates Tegan and number 18 is Piper Niven! Doudrop is no more and she’s gone back to her former Piper Niven name! Number 19 is Tamina! Piper and Tamina come face-to-face and they start throwing hammers on one another. Tamina drops Piper with a super-kick and Damage CTRL takes Tamina down. Number 20 is Chelsea Green!
Ripley quickly tosses Green over the top rope and Green has been eliminated! Becky tosses both Dakota and IYO out of the ring and Bayley tosses Becky out but Liv Morgan pops up behind Bayley and now Bayley has also been eliminated! Number 21 is Zelina Vega! Zelina plants Rhea with a Code Red, Piper tries to eliminate her, Zelina shoves Piper back and points at the WrestleMania 39 sign. Xia Li goes to the apron and she and Zelina brawl on the apron but Zelina trips her to the outside and gets back into the ring to safety. Zelina crack Piper with double knees to the face and number 22 is Raquel Rodriguez! Raquel slams everyone around the ring and number 23 is Michin (AKA Mia Yim)! Number 24 is Lacey Evans! Number 25 is Michelle McCool! Michelle was in shown in the crowd earlier with she and The Undertaker’s children and she jumps over the railing and gets into the ring! Michelle eliminates Tamina and number 26 is Indi Hartwell from NXT!
Number 27 is Sonya Deville! Sonya eliminates Zoey Stark. Lacey eliminates Zelina and number 28 is Shotzi! Sonya eliminates Indi Hartwell and number 29 is Nikki Cross! Number 30 is the returning Nia Jax! Everyone gangs up on Nia but Nia knocks everyone down and starts wrecking house. Ripley plants Nia with Riptide and everyone in the match tosses Nia out of the ring and Nia Jax has been eliminated! Raquel eliminates Lacey Evans. Asuka eliminates Sonya Deville, Ripley eliminates Michelle McCool, Michin eliminates Shotzi, and Piper eliminates Michin. Raquel eliminates Piper Niven and now focus her attention onto Ripley but Ripley tosses Raquel and Raquel Rodriguez has been eliminated. Liv Morgan tosses Nikki Cross out and we’re down to our final three of Rhea Ripley, Liv Morgan, and Asuka.
Ripley and Liv are brawling on the apron, Asuka rushes over, Ripley brings her down to the apron and here we go! Asuka spits green mist into Liv’s eyes, Rhea trips Asuka to the mat, Liv trips Rhea, but Rhea’s feet haven’t touched the floor and Rhea drops Liv to the floor with a head scissors and Rhea wins!
Winner – Rhea Ripley
Roman Reigns (C) (with Paul Heyman & Sami Zayn) vs. Kevin Owens – Undisputed WWE Universal Championship
Reigns nails Owens with a running shoulder block to start. Owens trips Reigns to the mat and starts unloading punches to a downed champion. Owens tosses Reigns to the corner and crushes him with a cannonball. Owens launches Reigns to the outside, where he plants Reigns with a senton before tossing Reigns back into the ring. Back in the ring, Reigns chokes Owens with the middle rope and goes for the cover but Owens lifts the shoulders after a two-count.
Reigns and Owens go shot for shot until Owens flattens Reigns with a swanton bomb from the top rope and goes for the cover but Reigns lifts the shoulders after a two-count! Another back and forth ensues until Reigns cracks Owens with a spear and goes for the cover but Owens kicks out! Owens goes for a stunner but Reigns shoves Owens into the referee. Owens plants Reigns with a pop-up power-bomb and goes for the cover but there’s no referee! Reigns hits Owens with a low blow and tells Sami Zayn to grab a steel chair. Zayn pauses for a moment but grabs a chair…Owens spins Reigns around and drills him with the stunner, then goes for the cover but Reigns kicks out! The champion nails Owens with a Superman Punch then goes for the cover but Owens kicks out! Reigns tosses Owens to the outside and drills him with a spear through the barricade. Reigns tosses Owens face-first into the steel steps two times right in front of Sami Zayn before tossing the challenger back into the ring. Reigns clocks Owens with a spear, then a cover and gets the 1-2-3 for the win!
Winner – Roman Reigns (C) (and STILL Undisputed WWE Universal Champion)
After the match, Jimmy Uso. Jey Uso, and Solo Sikoa come down to the ring. Jey is about to put a lei on Sami Zayn but Roman stops him and says there’s still some business to attend to first. The Usos beatdown Owens and set him up in the corner with a steel chair around his neck. Solo lines Owens up and nails him with a corner splash as Sami watches on. Paul Heyman hands Reigns two pairs of handcuffs and The Usos handcuff Owens to the ropes while still down in the corner. The Usos trade-off several super-kicks to a handcuffed Owens. Reigns grabs a chair and shouts at Owens and lines Owens up for a chair shot but Sami steps in front of Reigns and says he doesn’t need to do it. Reigns hands Sami the chair and tells him to hit Owens. Sami looks hesitant and even subtly points the chair towards Reigns. Roman gets in Sami’s face and tells him that it’s time to take Owens out.
Sami takes Reigns out with the chair and tells The Usos that he’s sorry and the crowd is going WILD! Jimmy Uso takes Sami out and the beatdown commences. Solo spikes Sami and Reigns is back up and directing The Bloodline to continue their attack. Jey hasn’t joined the attack yet and the rest of The Bloodline direct Jey to take Sami out but Jey rolls out of the ring and leaves. Back in the ring, the attack continues and Reigns is just walloping Sami with chair shot after chair shot after chair shot. There are deafening ‘F*** you Roman!’ chants throughout the AlamoDome and Reigns rips apart a lei and ‘The Honorary Uce’ shirt on top of Sami’s motionless body in the center of the ring. Jimmy delivers one final super-kick on Owens and The Bloodline, sans Jey Uso, exit the ring to a massive chorus of boos from the San Antonio, Texas crowd in attendance.
The Bloodline exits the ring and the show goes off-the-air.
Bayley had been scheduled to work a steel cage match with Backy Lynch on this week’s WWE Raw 30 show, but the bout didn’t take place. An angle was booked instead, where Bayley, Dakota Kai, & IYO SKY attacked Lynch and laid her out before the bout started.
It was reported that the Trial of Sami Zayn segment went long, which led to the rest of the card being trimmed. Unfortunately for the ladies, their cage bout was impacted the most. The decision was made to do the angle instead of booking a short match.
“The outcome of it? Yeah, I felt good. I honestly think it put our story in a whole different place. I think it did a lot for Damage CTRL. So I’m super happy with it,” Bayley stated.
Bayley noted she wasn’t bummed at all because the match got cut. However, she did see the fan backlash.
“I did, which is cool. They have our backs and stuff, but I don’t want them to think that women’s wrestling is moving backward or that we’re not seen in the same light of Roman Reigns or anybody like that. We are very appreciated backstage, we’re treated super well, and we are a part of big conversations when it comes to big stories, big matches, big pay-per-views, and big premium live events. We’re in conversations with that. I don’t want the fans to get the wrong idea about what happened, and it was just what happened. We’re going to make the best of it, and they’re going to see how it made everything so much bigger and better.”
The Rock has been long rumored for a match against Roman Reigns. Despite recent discouraging updates, people have been holding on hope for the Great One to make surprise appearance somewhere on the road to WrestleMania. His latest post however, suggests that he won’t be showing up at least at Royal Rumble.
The Great One recently shared a video on his Instagram account. The footage shows him shooting a scene for his upcoming Christmas movie late on Friday night:
“2 am on a Friday night and we’re still going strong. May not look very sexy right now but in our Christmas movie, this will become a thing of beauty.”
Red One is an upcoming Christmas action movie featuring The Rock, Chris Evans and J.K. Simmons among others. The film is said to reimagine the holiday mythology but the plot for it has not been revealed yet.
The Rock vs Roman Reigns?
It’s been established before that The Rock cannot risk taking part in active competition while shooting a movie. The risk of potential injury can cause the insurance costs to skyrocket and put financial pressure on the producers. During an active shooting session, even a non-wrestling appearance seems out of question.
The Rock had been the frontrunner for ending Roman Reigns’ record-breaking championship reign for long. People expected this match to take place at WrestleMania 39. These plans seem to be off the table after the former world champion informed WWE that he won’t be able to get in shape for a match in time.
Would you like to see The Rock making an appearance on the road to WrestleMania if he doesn’t wrestle Roman Reigns? Let us know your thoughts in comments.
Roman Reigns has spoken candidly about the possibility (or lack thereof) of facing his cousin The Rock at WrestleMania 39.
A showdown between the two members of the Anoa’I family has been a dream match for years, and it was reported last year that WWE was actively pursuing the match.
The Rock’s most recent match was an eight-second win over Erick Rowan in 2016, while his most recent full match saw him lose to John Cena at WrestleMania 29.
Roman Reigns
While The Rock Vs. Reigns was once considered a virtual lock for WrestleMania, that is no longer the case.
Earlier this month, it was reported that The Rock has informed WWE that he does not believe there is enough time for him to prepare for the Mania match.
Speaking on the Tonight Show to promote tonight’s Royal Rumble, Reigns addressed the match seemingly being off the table.
“I believe he just came out with a statement saying that he’s not gonna be ready in time, which, that’s the face that everyone’s making, like, ‘Hold on! He trains every single day. He’s huge!’ In his defense, it’s one thing to train with weights, the bodybuilding, the look, the part… but, to be able to get in the ring and do a main event match, a championship match, it takes a lot of conditioning, it beats up your body.
“So there’s more that goes into it than training in the weight room. It’s a professional athlete type of situation where you have to condition. He does two out of three things perfectly. His nutrition and weight training is on point, but you have to condition yourself, you gotta be ready to fall down.”
With The Rock not expected at WrestleMania, (and therefore tonight’s Rumble) other favorites to win the Men’s Rumble match include Cody Rhodes and Sami Zayn.
Reigns will defend the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship tonight against Kevin Owens.
With considerable backlash from fans over the mass releases from NXT UK, a lot is riding on NXT Europe to be a runaway success.
Speaking to Variety, Triple H shed light on WWE’s plans for NXT Europe.
“There’s been a lot of progress on it. We are very excited about the prospect of taking NXT in a larger global direction. I would like to be able to find the best athletes and the largest personalities and the most entertaining people from every place in the world, and bring them into what we do.”
Triple H.
Triple H, who is also WWE’s Head of Talent Relations, also spoke about the importance of searching all over for talent to bring to NXT Europe.
“When you begin to create those characters and those stars from every region, those regions become more engaged in what we do. If you can begin to go to all these places, and begin to find athletes there that can resonate on a global stage, some will make it big.”
Triple H.
The Game did not provide any date for when NXT Europe will premiere, though the brand is expected to air at some point in 2023.
Could WWE’s relationship with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia snuff out plans for a World Championship push for Sami Zayn?
Zayn is arguably the most popular WWE Superstar competing today, having won over audiences with his work as the Honorary Uce.
With tensions continuing to boil in the Bloodline, many feel it is a matter of time before Zayn challenges Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship.
Sami and Saudi Arabia
Sami Zayn is a regular on WWE TV, but due to his Syrian heritage, the decision was made years ago to keep him away from events in Saudi Arabia.
That didn’t stop fans from chanting for the Honorary Uce during the press conference for last November’s Crown Jewel event in Riyadh.
When Dave Meltzer was asked on Wrestling Observer Radio whether the Saudis could prevent Sami from becoming World Champion, the veteran journalist said that it could be a factor.
“Yes, because Saudi Arabia would want the top guy and the champion. But John Cena hasn’t gone to Saudi Arabia lately [since 2018’s Greatest Royal Rumble.] And he’s a much bigger star than Sami. It’s something, but it’s not a death knell to him.”
Dave Meltzer.
Meltzer echoed recent comments from Zayn himself that even if he is to become champion, that won’t make the Honorary Uce the next face of the company.
“They’re not going to make him the top guy. They can still make him the champion. Does Saudi Arabia play a part in the sense that they don’t want him in Saudi Arabia and he doesn’t want to go to Saudi Arabia anyway? And if he’s the champion, and they have a show coming up? Yes, that’s absolutely a factor. And it’s a really good point.”
Getting Over
Whether the Saudis will admit it or not, Sami Zayn is the most naturally ‘over’ star competing in WWE today.
On his show, Meltzer discussed Zayn not having ‘the look’ of a top guy, and recalled when Bryan Danielson and CM Punk got ‘over’ years earlier.
“Even if they’re over, in the minds of the people making the decisions, it’s ‘they’re over with our audiences, but they can’t really be over [in the mainstream.’] I’ve always argued that the test of who can get over is who gets over. There is no set thing.
“I’ve always argued that the test of who can get over is who gets over.”
Dave Meltzer.
“Guys have gotten over and drawn big, big, giant, giant [numbers.] Mainstream stars have gotten over in different parts of the world and the country and everything like that, and they didn’t necessarily have to fit into this Roman Reigns look, not that there’s anything wrong with Roman Reigns.”
After being found not guilty during the trial on this week’s Raw, Zayn will face a final challenge at tonight’s WWE Royal Rumble event.
Zayn isn’t confirmed for the Men’s Rumble match, but his real-life best friend Kevin Owens will challenge Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship.
WWE’s promise that nothing would change following the return of Vince McMahon is seeming pretty hollow with the departure of another name backstage.
McMahon returned to WWE as a member of the Board of Directors on January 6, 2023, and has since been appointed as Executive Chairman.
In a meeting in WWE’s offices, Stephanie McMahon said that little would change with Vince’s return, days before her resignation as Chairwoman and co-CEO of the company.
Departure
WWE’s now former Vice President of International Matthew Drew has parted ways with the company, PW Insider was first to report.
Drew took on the role in June 2021 and his departure is said to have come last week.
Part of his role as VP of International was to work on “growing WWE’s brand and business outside of the United States.”
In addition, Drew worked “with other company leaders to devise WWE’s international strategy for live events, digital, consumer products, and new revenue opportunities.”
Other Departures
Matthew Drew is hardly the only person to part ways with WWE following the return of Vince McMahon.
McMahon being reappointed to the Board saw the billionaire return with Michelle Wilson and George Barrios, and the departures of JoEllen Lyons Dillon, Jeffrey Speed, and Alan Wexler.
Ignace Lahoud and Man Jit Singh (the latter having overseen the investigation into McMahon) resigned the following morning.
Drew is the latest vice president to part ways with the company after Stefanie Fiondella and Adam Hopkins tendered their resignations as Vice Presidents of Communication.
The company also recently laid off multiple names from their offices in Stamford, though no Superstars have been released at this time.
Mark Briscoe was allowed to compete on this week’s episode of AEW Dynamite, but only after a lot of pushback from Warner Bros. Discovery.
In the main event of the show, Briscoe defeated Jay Lethal in a tribute match to Mark’s brother Jay, who died earlier this month.
It has been reported that the match was not approved until the day before Dynamite and that multiple segments were shortened to give the main event plenty of time
Warner Bros. Discovery Ban
Jay Briscoe unfortunately never got the chance to compete on AEW TV, due to a ban against the brothers implemented by Warner Bros. Discovery.
This ban was due to controversial tweets made by Jay a decade ago, comments that Briscoe would apologize for and explain as part of his heel character.
